Dual safety valve method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

Dual safety valve apparatus is utilized to automatically shut in one or a pair of producing well zones upon a reduction in control fluid pressure. A tubing hanger is run into the well on a setting tool and supports a dual tubing string when the hanger is set in the well casing. The setting tool is removed and a dual, full opening shutoff valve assembly is run into the well and seats in the tubing hanger. Control fluid pressure supplied from the top of the well holds the shutoff valves open. Each shutoff valve has a full bore opening therethrough in the open position. A shifting tool is operable by fluid pressure to mechanically open the shutoff valves and when mechanically opened by the shifting tool, the valves can receive a secondary wireline retrievable shutoff valve operable by control fluid pressure. The dual shutoff valve is retrievable, and the tubing hanger is then retrievable by a retrieving tool.

United States Patent [191 Crowe DUAL SAFETY VALVE METHOD AND APPARATUS[75] Inventor: Talmadge L. Crowe, Houston, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Baker OilTools, lnc., Commerce,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Apr. 13, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 243,806

[52] U.S. Cl. 166/314, 166/72, 166/224 S [51] Int. Cl E21b 43/00, E2lb33/03 [58] Field of Search 166/314, 72; 3/189, 3/224 S [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,785,755 3/1957 Dean 166/72 2,963,08912/1960 Sizer 166/72 3,412,806 11/1968 Fredd et al. 166/72 3,441,0844/1969 Fredd 166/189 3,454,084 7/1969 Sizer 166/72 Nov. 13, 1973Primary-Examiner-.lames A. Leppink Attorney-Bernard Kriegel [57]ABSTRACT Dual safety valve apparatus is utilized to-automatically shutin one or a pair of producing well zones upon a reduction in controlfluid pressure. A tubing hanger is run into the well on a setting tooland supports a dual tubing string when the hanger is set in the wellcasing. The setting tool is removed and a dual, full opening shutoffvalve assembly is run into the well and seats in the tubing hanger.Control fluid pressure supplied from the top of the well holds theshutoff valves open. Each shutoff valve has a full bore openingtherethrough in the open position. A shifting tool is operable by fluidpressure to mechanically open the shutoff values and when mechanicallyopened by the shifting tool, the valves can receive a secondary wirelineretrievable shutoff valve operable by control fluid pressure. The dualshutoff valve is retrievable and the tubing hanger is then retrievableby a tstriaiaaleeh.-- .6

25 Claims, 51 Drawing Figures Patented Nov. 13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Nov. 13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet 15 Patented Nov. l3, 19733,771,603

21 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Nov. 13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov.13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet 6 II QED Patented Nov. 13, 1973 21 SheetsSheotIIIIII m H m a 4 8 I 1 w 3 I 6 I 1 x 1 M Q A 7 I v I o 1 J 6 MI PatentedNov. 13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Nov. 13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet 9Patented Nov. 13, 1973 3,771,603

21 Sheets-Sheet 10 Patented Nov. 13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet .1

Patented Nov. '13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheot 12 Patented Nov. 13, 19733,771,603

21 Sheets-Sheet 15 Patented Nov. 13, 1973' 21 Sheets-Shoot 14 RNN www 8%WWN Patented Nov. 13, 1973 21 Sheets-Sheet 15 Patented Nov. 13, 19733,771,603

21 Sheets-Sheet 1E. Ache/q. 196.311,.

Patented Nov. 13, 1973 3,771,603

Igo- .390.

21 Sheets-Sheet 19

1. In apparatus for producing a well from plural productive zonespenetrated by the well bore in which casing is set below the top of thewell: tubing hanger means supporting a plurality of production tubingstrings extending downwardly in the well bore and respectivelycommunicating with one of said productive zones, anchor means on saidtubing hanger means actuable into anchoring engagement with said casing,said tubing hanger means having a receptacle, plural safety valve meansreleasably engaged in said receptacle and having a plurality of flowpassages communicating with said plurality of tubing strings, aplurality of upwardly extending tubings leading from said valve passagesto the top of the well, said plural safety valve means including aplurality of shutoff valves each having means for normally closing oneof said passages and means responsive to control fluid pressure foropening the same, and control fluid conduit means leading from saidcontrol fluid pressure responsive means to the top of the well andconnectable to a source of control fluid pressure to open said shutoffvalves.
 2. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves eachcomprising ball valve members having an opening substantially equal tothe opening in said tubing strings, and means for shifting said ballvalve members between a first position at which said opening is alignedwith said flow passages and a second position closing said flowpassages.
 3. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valveseach including additional means shiftable to open said shutoff valveindependently of control fluid pressure.
 4. In apparatus as defined inclaim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftableto open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure andlocking said shutoff valve open.
 5. In apparatus as defined in claim 1,said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftable to opensaid shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure and lockingsaid shutoff valve open, said shutoff valve when locked open having seatmeans for a wireline retrievable secondary shutoff valve means operableby control fluid pressure, and passage means for supplying control fluidto said wireline retrievable valve means.
 6. In apparatus as defined inclaim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftableto open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure andlocking said shutoff valve open, and shifting tool means engageable withsaid additional means to shift the latter.
 7. In apparatus as defined inclaim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftableto open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure andlocking said shutoff valve open, and shifting tool means engageable withsaid additional means to shift the latter responsive to fluid pressure,said shifting tool means having means connectable to a running pipestring for conducting fluid pressure to said shifting tool means.
 8. Inapparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each includingadditonal means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently ofcontrol fluid pressure and locking said shutoff valve open, said shutoffvalve when locked open having seat means for a wireline retrievablesecondary shutoff valve means operable by control fluid pressure, andpassage means for supplying control fluid to said wireline retrievablevalve means, and including control fluid pressure operated wirelineretrievable valve means in said seat means.
 9. In apparatus as definedin claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional meansshiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluidpressure and locking said shutoff valve open, said shutoff valve whenlocked open having seat means for a wireline retrievable secondaryshutoff valve means operable by control fluid pressure, and passagemeans for supplying control fluid to said wireline retrievable valvemeans, and including control fluid pressure operated wirelineretrievable valve means in said seat means, said wireline retrievablevalve means including packing means engaged in said latter seat meansand straddling said passage means for supplying control fluid to saidwireline retrievable valve means.
 10. In apparatus as defined in claim1, said tubing hanger means and said safety valve means havingreleasable Latch means for securing said safety valve means in saidreceptacle.
 11. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said safety valvemeans and said tubing hanger means having complemental flow tube andsocket means interengageable upon landing of said safety valve means insaid receptacle to establish communication between said flow passagesand said respective tubing strings, and coengageable orienting means onsaid safety valve means and said tubing hanger means for aligning saidflow tube and socket means for interengagement when said safety valvemeans is landed in said tubing hanger means.
 12. In apparatus as definedin claim 11, said orienting means including a longitudinally extendedslot and inclined surfaces leading to said slot, and an orienting keyengageable with said inclined surfaces and moveable into said slot. 13.In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said anchor means includingreleasable means enabling release of said anchor means from said casingin response to an upward pull on said tubing hanger means followingremoval of said safety valve means from said receptacle, said tubinghanger means having means engageable by retrieving tool means to applysaid upward pull.
 14. In apparatus as defined in claim 13, retrievingtool means having means engageable with said means engageable by saidretrieving tool means and capable of applying said upward pull to saidtubing hanger means.
 15. In apparatus as defined in claim 14, saidretrieving tool means having fluid pressure responsive means for dampingupward movement of said retrieving tool means upon release of saidanchor means.
 16. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said tubing hangermeans having connecting means engageable by setting tool means forlowering said tubing hanger in said casing and operating said anchormeans before engagement of said safety valve means in said receptacles.17. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said tubing hanger means havingconnecting means engageable by setting tool means for lowering saidtubing hanger in said casing and operating said anchor means beforeengagement of said safety valve means in said receptacles, and settingtool means releasably engaged with connecting means for positioning saidtubing hanger means in said casing and actuating said anchor means intoanchoring engagement with said casing.
 18. In apparatus as defined inclaim 1, said control fluid conduit means including a control fluidtubing connected to said safety valve means, said safety valve meansincluding passage means connecting said control fluid tubing to themeans responsive to control fluid pressure for opening the respectiveshutoff valves.
 19. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoffvalves each comprising an elongated valve body, the respective valvebodies being longitudinally spaced with respect to one another.
 20. Inapparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each comprising anelongated valve body, the respective valve bodies being longitudinallyspaced with respect to one another, and including tubular membersextending from one shutoff valve body in side-by-side parallel relationto an upper shutoff valve body.
 21. The method of producing well fluidsfrom a plurality of vertically spaced subsurface earth zones penetratedby a well bore, comprising isolating said earth zones in the well bore,running a plurality of production tubing strings into the well bore on atubing hanger assembly and establishing communication between therespective earth zones and one of said tubing strings, anchoring saidtubing hanger assembly in the well bore in upwardly spaced relation tothe upper earth zone, running into the well above said tubing hangermeans a plural safety valve assembly supported on an upper plurality oftubing strings and landing said safety valve assembly in said tubinghanger assembly to normally shut off flow from said earth zones throughsaid tubing strings, and supplying control fluid pressure to said safetyvalve assembly to allow floW of fluid from said earth zones through saidtubing strings.
 22. The methof of claim 21, wherein said tubing hangerassembly is run into said well on a setting tool, and includingoperating said setting tool to anchor said tubing hanger assembly in thewell bore, and removing said setting tool before running said safetyvalve assembly.
 23. The method of claim 21, including shutting in saidearth zones by relieving said safety valve assembly of control fluidpressure to close said tubing strings.
 24. The method of claim 21,including removing said upper tubing strings and said safety valveassembly from said tubing hanger assembly and pulling the said uppertubing strings and said safety valve assembly from the well, running aretrieving tool into said tubing hanger assembly and connecting themtogether, and pulling said retrieving tool, said tubing hanger assemblyand said lower tubing strings from the well.
 25. The method of claim 21,including running a shifting tool into the well through one of saidupper tubing strings and operating said safety valve means to establishflow through said tubing strings from one of said earth zones, runninginto said safety valve assembly through the upper tubing string of saidlast-mentioned tubing strings an auxiliary safety valve assembly tonormally shut off flow through said last-mentioned tubing strings, andapplying said control fluid pressure to said auxiliary safety valveassembly to establish flow through said last-mentioned tubing strings.